


him.

by dongparazzi



Category: iKON (Korea Band)
Genre: M/M, Minor pairings - Freeform, brief mentions of double b, it's sad tbh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-09-23
Packaged: 2019-06-10 22:36:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15301545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dongparazzi/pseuds/dongparazzi
Summary: [kkt] your creation is giving me attitude...“attitude? it’s a simple reminder of an important schedule you have to attend early in the morning. i believe it’s called… concern.”oh god.this was the beginning of an unimaginable experience hanbin was close to regretting.





	1. introduction.

being best friends with kim donghyuk presents plenty of benefits; from a devoted and intelligent youngster, to permanently having a vehement voice boosting with so much positivity, that even the most pessimistic people in the world wouldn’t be able to resist it.

kim hanbin, 22 years old. a pessimist. 

eternally subjected to one of his closest friend’s craziest creations, hanbin shouldn’t be pretending to be surprised at 11pm, when his phone alerts him with an incoming spam of texts; full of typos, but eloquent nevertheless, basically able to hear donghyuk’s voice in each word spelled on his screen - too bright for his sensitive eyes, that he has to adjust by partially closing them. donghyuk graduated with honors from robotic engineering, employed for “interstellar” as a programmer, constantly working and developing creations no ordinary person would be able to think of. hanbin’s always shown fondness towards his success, even by partaking in his projects, to giving him genuine feedback and detailed analysis on it. supposedly, being a creative writer had its benefits.

[kkt] hyunghyunghyung  
[kkt] are you here??!?!  
[kkt] it’s finally ready!  
[kkt] the project i told you about months ago  
[kkt] i need you to test it for me  
[kkt] i know you’re not asleep  
[kkt] ㅇㅁㅇ  
[kkt] i’m sorry but i won’t stop sending you messages until you get back to me  
[kkt] hanbin hyuuuung  
[kkt] ㅠㅠ 

meeting for lunch a while ago, hanbin recalls donghyuk talking to him about his biggest project yet, a secret unrevealed to anyone in their cycle of common friends. any question regarding it would be met with cryptic, puzzling answers, to which they eventually gave up insisting upon. in all honesty, hanbin even forgot it was a thing; his mind spins with idea after idea, scribbled in his pocket notebook, handwriting deteriorated over years of haphazardly drafting his creations on wrinkled paper. ah, a disinterested blink brings back his attention where messages continue to roll in front of him, knowing he can’t refuse his friend’s wish. having never been a man of many words on social media, he keys the shortest and most bland answer. 

[kkt] okay.

he thinks that on the other side of the screen, he can hear donghyuk’s voice rejoicing with excitement, judging by the silence for the next few minutes. then a long text that already tires his eyes is displayed before him, instructions on how to use this beta, the platforms it’s available on, what he’s interested in monitoring.

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS 

1\. Download the software via the link attached in your e-mail on any accessible platform. The process might take a few minutes, please be patient!

2\. Once the installation is over, the software will load automatically. Please notify me regarding any bugs you might encounter.

3\. Make sure your headset or earbud is connected to the device you are using.

4\. Enjoy! ^o^ 

with a sigh, he waits for the installation to finish up, suddenly feeling like he’s being teased with the way the green bar halts right before completely filling in - and then, when it says ‘finalized’, his brows knit together as phone screen fades into red... not necessarily engrossed in the introduction texts, he quickly skips over the first pages. mid tapping he recalls his bluetooth earpiece isn’t connected, so he’s quickly stretching to his night table to hastily fit it in, just in time for… 

“hey, this is jinhwan.”

not exactly what he would refer to as enthusiastic, but there’s something appealing in the voice that addresses directly in his ear like honey dripping with so much sweetness, but still low enough to denote a man… in his 20’s perhaps, courteous through his spoken elegance. perhaps hanbin also shouldn’t have ignored the slide spelling “welcome to the world’s first artificially intelligent operating system.” it would have made more sense as if to why no image of this jinhwan could be found, or why he suddenly shares knowledge on his files.

“you currently have over a hundred unread messages, 3 spams and a reply on your backup e-mail; i want to say you are a little unorganized.” 

in a span of five minutes, hanbin also learns that this jinhwan is direct and nosy, his lips pursed together while still absorbing information. this was donghyuk’s marvelous creation? a replica of his iOS function, that replies to his e-mails and organizes folders? tsk. out of respect for his hard work, he doesn’t piece it so harshly, thumbs motioning in hovered circles in the air, without expecting another interruption. 

“you haven’t told me your name.” 

strange. 

“....hanbin.”

“well, hanbin, don’t look so dead now. it’s not the appearance you want to give to the song writer you’re meeting tomorrow.” 

ah damn, this is why he should have kept track of his meetings in his agenda. tomorrow would be the first time his work gets exposed to a different person from his few friends, a specialist giving verdict on whether or not his efforts were worth it.

pause.

“hold on, you can see me-?!”

“you would think the front camera is there for a reason…”

and at that moment hanbin decides jinhwan is going to be a pain in the ass.

[kkt] your creation is giving me attitude...

“attitude? it’s a simple reminder of an important schedule you have to attend early in the morning. i believe it’s called… concern.” 

oh god. 

this was the beginning of an unimaginable experience hanbin was close to regretting.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> jinhwan is a little bit to nosy for hanbin's liking.

“good morning, hanbin.” 

said man’s eyes snap open abruptly, greeted with a view of his wrinkled sheets and a voice so human, that for a second he’s forgetting it’s intangible and artificial. ah, right. last night, donghyuk had presented him his software, to which he agreed to test. without being aware of details, his reply had been instantaneous and eager to help. donghyuk must definitely be a genius, is the conclusion drawn while his mind wonders for how long he’s been conceptualizing and scheming for this. even if it had been for a week, it would have still turned out successful because it’s the ambitious kid with brains who’s never been set for failure. it’s not his insight, so it’s difficult to even envision the structure he must have followed to incorporate a substantial voice in various devices. 

“good mornin’...” 

hanbin felt like a damn fool for replying back to a robot, his only company early in the morning in a form of possibly programmed lines, reciting him his upcoming schedules just like it had recited him the number of messages the previous night. as he rolls out of bed with a groan of protest, fingers dragging against a spot recently harassed by his nails below his shoulder, he actively listens to his plans for the day; meeting with a mysterious name who undergoes by seung, for a brutally honest review over his compositions and lyrics, drinking in celebration with his friends if it possibly goes right - although he’s not a big fan of alcohol, rare moments like these pushed him towards the closest bottle of soju. simple as that, a repetitively monotonous life he held no interest into changing any time soon. 

“surely you won’t mind the fact that i’ve corrected your little speech. you must have written it in a rush, for you to have so many spelling errors.” 

in the middle of dressing a cardigan with squared patterns on it, hanbin’s hand purposely gets caught inside the fabric, having yet to accommodate with the idea of… something rummaging through his things so freely. jinhwan wasn’t a person, it would be absurd for him to treat the software as if it had actual feelings, right? hanbin wasn’t a man of many words spoken out loud, but he was a man who carried numerous conversations with himself, conceptions and opinions safely stashed, with no room to be criticized. thankfully, jinhwan wasn’t a mind-reader, or god knows what kind of nagging he would have to face, and then he’d really have to turn it all down on donghyuk. instead, he inquires with curiosity, “you can read my handwriting?” 

“it’s completely horrendous and untidy, if i’m being honest. but i made it work.” 

“...oh. well, not like you were supposed to stick your nose in to begin with.”

“you should be thankful, i’m helping you be more organized.” 

“i didn’t ask you to!”

the beeping sound of his electronic clock situated by his phone fills in the sudden silence, while he proceeds to smoothen his appearance by running a quick comb through his hair, his fingers hurriedly adjusting at his collar. had it not been impossible, he would have considered the potential thought of hurting jinhwan’s feelings. but jinhwan knew no means of feelings, which immediately cancelled his premise. refusing to occupy his mind with meaningless thoughts, he steps out of the door with his phone safely tucked in one of his pockets, along with his ear piece, while holding his notebook full of scribbles under his arm. 

。。。

3pm. hanbin arrived at the meeting mentally prepared for the conversation. as a natural introvert, it’s difficult for him to talk face to face without coming off as awkward - unless he is, of course, in the presence of his good friends, donghyuk, jiwon, yunhyeong, even junhoe or chanwoo. at the cafe with his legs restless under the table, he stirs into his drink - a latte that doesn’t really require it to begin with, other hand habitually finding home against his chest, therapeutic circles rubbed into it to tone his nerves. there’s papers of ideas he wants to lay out, the stupid speech fixed by jinhwan that he has to re-learn thanks to the modified content, unsure why he even gratified him by taking it. 

the next three hours feel like eternity.

better yet, a recurring nightmare. 

long story short, the producer said his work is good, but not qualified enough to hire him in the company. as much as the answer was expected, hanbin’s chest still palpated rapidly beneath thin fingers, intensively enough to give the impression that his heart is about to leap out of it. by the time he makes it home, the document with torn paper at the edges is thrown right in the trash bin. one might say this is it, the road was walked fast and cut, dreams were shattered and life became meaningless. on the contrary however, hanbin’s motivation seeps through the finest forms of torture, picks itself in the form of a new agenda and a pen in his hand- the tip of it chewed up completely. little quirks developed mid-stress, from losing track of time at his desk, until the sun rays become replaced by silver moonlight spilling inside the room.

“you need a break.” 

it’s always a (puzzling) surprise to hear jinhwan speak, his voice far from artificial, despite the lack of physical presence. hanbin feels like he is constantly connected to a call with a stranger, who every now and then reminds him of his presence. the best way to burn out anxiety was through sitting at his desk with bleary-eyes, devouring his way through songs until the words weren’t even properly aligned along the lines in his notebook. jinhwan was right, an agreement which remains unspoken, for whenever he blinks, the paper becomes blurrier around the edges. “not sleeping won’t kill you.” spoken almost infuriatingly conversational, his fingers tuck along his bottom lip thoughtfully, analysing over his scribbled words that not even he could decipher sometimes.

“correct. there is zero evidence that lack of sleep could kill you. however, allow me to present you a list of consequences.” without waiting for any means of approval, jinhwan proceeds in reciting a series of points which revolve around memory issues, a weak immunity or even a low sex drive; well, those are the few several points that got through hanbin’s head, as he had stopped paying attention halfway through. instead, no thought is given when he suddenly interrupts jinhwan in the middle of telling him about the accidents it could produce. “how do you know so many facts at once, anyway?” 

“easily. every passing minute means evolution to me. unlike you, i am able to download information and research as we speak.” while the conversation carries further, hanbin drags himself from his desk and towards his beanbag in the balcony, the serenity of han river sedating him into a tranquil state, his legs long and lanky awkwardly bumping against the small table set ahead of him. company during dreadful moments was unbeatable. perhaps it’s a thought he’d never voice out-loud, how much peace it brought to him. instead, “you are going to overload and we’ll have to reset you,” spoken without remorse, slender fingers habitually covering a large portion of his mouth, hiding a forming smirk along with it. “fortunately, my storage is unlimited, so you needn’t worry about that.” 

oh. 

without a particular comeback, the conversation dies down, as hanbin begins messing with his phone. tapping against a couple of folders, he finds entertaining videos of his friends he had previously edited, in such a ridiculous manner that it was nearly impossible not to laugh upon seeing them. vibrant colours and slow motion, a particular pitched giggle leaves his lips at a video of yunhyeong losing a bet, the distortion in his voice, the zoom up to his reaction accompanied by loud voices calling him out for chickening away. fond memories well storaged in his phone, in his heart, his most treasured belongings outside of work. 

“while you were reminiscing, i took the liberty to organise your emails. i’ve deleted your spam messages, sorted the read ones and moved the important notices on top of the others.” 

“read me one of the important messages.” 

“a certain yunhyeong has sent you a message to remind you that you have to meet up in...a couple of hours?” 

ah shit. 

the accumulated stress had easily made him forget that he agreed to spend the evening together with his friends. yunhyeong had been recently accepted into a cooking school, which lead to a celebration. hanbin should have celebrated with them, however there was nothing to celebrate now that he thought back to the harsh words of criticism he received from seung. “tell him i might be late,” for the sake of not cancelling completely, his appearance would last for a couple of hours. his mind was occupied with creative ideas he would rather be putting on paper, but hanbin was a man of his word. his personal failure didn’t concern yunhyeong’s success and happiness. in addition to the outfit he attended the meeting with, a white mask tucks firmly behind his ears, his phone and wallet stuffed in a shoulder bag.

an hour later since the supposed party had started, his foot sets outside of the apartment. 

“oh, and hanbin? one more question.”

“hm?”

“who is jaewon?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first of all, i'm overwhelmed by the love you've shown to the story so far!  
> it's been forever. i've been busy with a lot of things and faced a massive author's block.  
> i can safely say i will try to upload more regularly.  
> thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> hi, thank you for showing your interest towards this.  
> the updates may be slow / i don't always have time to write.  
> highly appreciated to anyone who reads it and likes it.  
> the fanfic is inspired by the movie h.e.r that jinhwan loves so much.  
> enjoy! :)


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